Emma Zang
@dremmazang.bsky.social
Associate Professor @YaleSoc @ysphbiostat @JacksonYale | Advocate for evidence-based family and health policies | Data science enthusiast
See many of you next Friday!
October 31, 2025 at 5:04 PM
See many of you next Friday!
Had a great time at the Remote Work Conference last week! It’s been a while since I’ve attended such an intellectually stimulating and welcoming event.
October 28, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Had a great time at the Remote Work Conference last week! It’s been a while since I’ve attended such an intellectually stimulating and welcoming event.
Just posted a new working paper on SSRN! We pit rule-based, machine learning, and various LLM methods against each other to classify social outcomes (like gender, custody, and housing) from Chinese divorce judgments. What can human–machine disagreement teach us about validity and inference?
<p><b><span>From Extraction to Inference: Comparing Rule-Based, Machine Learning, and LLM Approaches for Classifying Social Outcomes in Legal Text</span></b></p>
<p><span>Legal texts encode key social outcomes, but their unstructured format, domain-specific language, and culturally embedded cues make them difficult to an
papers.ssrn.com
October 17, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Just posted a new working paper on SSRN! We pit rule-based, machine learning, and various LLM methods against each other to classify social outcomes (like gender, custody, and housing) from Chinese divorce judgments. What can human–machine disagreement teach us about validity and inference?
Z-CAFÉ will soon open a new postdoctoral position. We’re looking for scholars passionate about family, health, demography, policy, and aging, broadly defined, who also bring strong statistical and computational skills.
October 14, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Z-CAFÉ will soon open a new postdoctoral position. We’re looking for scholars passionate about family, health, demography, policy, and aging, broadly defined, who also bring strong statistical and computational skills.
Looking forward to the amazing Deborah Carr visiting us next Monday!
October 13, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Looking forward to the amazing Deborah Carr visiting us next Monday!
Excited to attend this year's Remote Work Conference at Stanford (www.remoteworkconference.org)! Look forward to connecting with scholars who are interested in flexible work and those in the Stanford area!
2025 Conference Schedule
The Schedule
www.remoteworkconference.org
October 6, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Excited to attend this year's Remote Work Conference at Stanford (www.remoteworkconference.org)! Look forward to connecting with scholars who are interested in flexible work and those in the Stanford area!
Lately I’ve been hearing parents talk about how private equity firms are increasingly buying up daycares and nursing homes in Connecticut.
October 5, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Lately I’ve been hearing parents talk about how private equity firms are increasingly buying up daycares and nursing homes in Connecticut.
I was recently interviewed for this thoughtful piece in The New Journal about Chinese international students navigating today’s political climate. The article captures both the courage and vulnerability of students whose education and voices are shaped by forces far beyond the classroom.
Disrupted Customs | The New Journal
Chinese international students are the foremost targets of Trump’s student visa restrictions. Now, their place at Yale and their ability to speak freely seem more precarious.
thenewjournalatyale.com
October 4, 2025 at 1:46 AM
I was recently interviewed for this thoughtful piece in The New Journal about Chinese international students navigating today’s political climate. The article captures both the courage and vulnerability of students whose education and voices are shaped by forces far beyond the classroom.
New in American Journal of Epidemiology! doi.org/10.1093/aje/...
Validate User
doi.org
October 1, 2025 at 2:51 AM
New in American Journal of Epidemiology! doi.org/10.1093/aje/...
Reposted by Emma Zang
Indeed, UNC-CH Sociology is hiring again! Check it out and please share. :)
Carolina Sociology is hiring!
• Tenure-track in computational sociology or advanced quantitative methods
• Open rank in population health.
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
• Tenure-track in computational sociology or advanced quantitative methods
• Open rank in population health.
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307...
Assistant Professor
This Assistant Professor position will teach graduate and undergraduate courses, conduct research in the field of Sociology, participate in departmental service, and mentor graduate students.
unc.peopleadmin.com
September 27, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Indeed, UNC-CH Sociology is hiring again! Check it out and please share. :)
Reposted by Emma Zang
We're hiring for a senior appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor!
Apply here: facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/49...
Apply here: facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/49...
Stanford | Faculty Positions: Details - Senior appointment in the Department of Sociology at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor
facultypositions.stanford.edu
September 29, 2025 at 2:26 PM
We're hiring for a senior appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor!
Apply here: facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/49...
Apply here: facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/49...
🚨 We’re hiring! Yale Sociology is searching for a Senior Quantitative Sociologist to join our department.
Apply here: apply.interfolio.com/174709
Apply here: apply.interfolio.com/174709
Apply - Interfolio
{{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
September 30, 2025 at 7:48 PM
🚨 We’re hiring! Yale Sociology is searching for a Senior Quantitative Sociologist to join our department.
Apply here: apply.interfolio.com/174709
Apply here: apply.interfolio.com/174709
Grateful my article made “Most Popular of the Week” at Foreign Policy. A reminder that beyond wars and geopolitics, the lived experiences of ordinary people in China also resonate deeply with readers.
September 22, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Grateful my article made “Most Popular of the Week” at Foreign Policy. A reminder that beyond wars and geopolitics, the lived experiences of ordinary people in China also resonate deeply with readers.
Excited to share that my lab’s new website (zcafe.net) is live!
We’re building Z-CAFÉ to study health, family, and inequality in a changing world, using data science tools. The site is the place to watch for upcoming openings (pre-docs, postdocs, RAs).
Check it out and stay tuned!
We’re building Z-CAFÉ to study health, family, and inequality in a changing world, using data science tools. The site is the place to watch for upcoming openings (pre-docs, postdocs, RAs).
Check it out and stay tuned!
Z-CAFE Lab - Home
zcafe.net
September 19, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Excited to share that my lab’s new website (zcafe.net) is live!
We’re building Z-CAFÉ to study health, family, and inequality in a changing world, using data science tools. The site is the place to watch for upcoming openings (pre-docs, postdocs, RAs).
Check it out and stay tuned!
We’re building Z-CAFÉ to study health, family, and inequality in a changing world, using data science tools. The site is the place to watch for upcoming openings (pre-docs, postdocs, RAs).
Check it out and stay tuned!
China’s birthrate is plunging, but this isn’t just a demographic crisis. It’s a crisis of faith in the future.
Why many young Chinese no longer believe in marriage, parenthood, or long-term planning —
My new op-ed in Foreign Policy & ChinaFile:
chinafile.com/reporting-op...
Why many young Chinese no longer believe in marriage, parenthood, or long-term planning —
My new op-ed in Foreign Policy & ChinaFile:
chinafile.com/reporting-op...
China’s Birth Crisis Is a Crisis of Faith in the Future
In recent years, the government has offered tax breaks, housing incentives, and fertility treatment coverage to encourage family formation. But these measures are unlikely to work. China’s birth rate has fallen from 2.5 births per woman in 1990 to just 1 birth per woman in 2023. The country’s declining birth rate is not only an economic problem but a cultural one. For many young people, the real barrier is not the cost of raising children. Rather, it is the conviction that parenthood no longer makes sense in a future that feels uncertain and unworthy of investment. Unless policies address this deeper malaise, subsidies and bonuses will do little to stem the decline.
chinafile.com
September 18, 2025 at 11:43 PM
China’s birthrate is plunging, but this isn’t just a demographic crisis. It’s a crisis of faith in the future.
Why many young Chinese no longer believe in marriage, parenthood, or long-term planning —
My new op-ed in Foreign Policy & ChinaFile:
chinafile.com/reporting-op...
Why many young Chinese no longer believe in marriage, parenthood, or long-term planning —
My new op-ed in Foreign Policy & ChinaFile:
chinafile.com/reporting-op...
New Yale study: Sex-selective abortion bans don’t change sex ratios—but they do harm health. Among Asian immigrant mothers, bans increased low birth weight + preterm births.
(news.yale.edu/2025/08/29/s...)
(news.yale.edu/2025/08/29/s...)
Study: Sex-selective abortion bans harm maternal and infant health
A new study by Yale sociologist Emma Zang links sex-selective abortion bans to negative birth outcomes for Asian immigrant mothers.
news.yale.edu
August 29, 2025 at 5:02 PM
New Yale study: Sex-selective abortion bans don’t change sex ratios—but they do harm health. Among Asian immigrant mothers, bans increased low birth weight + preterm births.
(news.yale.edu/2025/08/29/s...)
(news.yale.edu/2025/08/29/s...)
The Yale Population Studies Workshop is live! Check out our fall lineup here: isps.yale.edu/population-s... Speakers span sociology, economics, medicine, and political science. Both Yale and non-Yale folks are welcome to sign up for the email listserv!
Population Studies Workshop
| Institution for Social and Policy Studies
isps.yale.edu
August 26, 2025 at 3:46 PM
The Yale Population Studies Workshop is live! Check out our fall lineup here: isps.yale.edu/population-s... Speakers span sociology, economics, medicine, and political science. Both Yale and non-Yale folks are welcome to sign up for the email listserv!
China just rolled out a new childcare subsidy to tackle its record-low birth rate. I spoke with CNN about what this means—and why cash alone might not be enough.
edition.cnn.com/2025/08/05/c...
edition.cnn.com/2025/08/05/c...
China used to fine couples for having too many babies. Now it can’t pay them enough | CNN
Pessimistic about the future, young people in China don’t want to have children – a growing trend that worries the government as it tries to avert a population crisis of its own making.
edition.cnn.com
August 6, 2025 at 2:09 AM
China just rolled out a new childcare subsidy to tackle its record-low birth rate. I spoke with CNN about what this means—and why cash alone might not be enough.
edition.cnn.com/2025/08/05/c...
edition.cnn.com/2025/08/05/c...
I'm happy to share that I've joined the Asia Society Policy Institute as a Fellow. Looking forward to engaging more with policy issues related to China and working alongside others who care about bridging research and policy. Grateful for the opportunity to learn, contribute, and grow in this space.
July 30, 2025 at 1:25 PM
I'm happy to share that I've joined the Asia Society Policy Institute as a Fellow. Looking forward to engaging more with policy issues related to China and working alongside others who care about bridging research and policy. Grateful for the opportunity to learn, contribute, and grow in this space.
I was interviewed for this Reuters piece on China’s new national childcare subsidy and its potential impact on fertility. I emphasized that while financial support is welcome, real change requires long-term investments in childcare, gender equity, and family security.
www.reuters.com/markets/emer...
www.reuters.com/markets/emer...
China unveils childcare subsidies in push to boost fertility
China rolled out on Monday an annual childcare subsidy of 3,600 yuan (about $500) until age three, as authorities look to spur a flagging birth rate with fewer young people choosing to have children.
www.reuters.com
July 29, 2025 at 1:13 AM
I was interviewed for this Reuters piece on China’s new national childcare subsidy and its potential impact on fertility. I emphasized that while financial support is welcome, real change requires long-term investments in childcare, gender equity, and family security.
www.reuters.com/markets/emer...
www.reuters.com/markets/emer...
Just spoke on CGTN about China’s new national childcare subsidy (¥3,600 per child/year). A big policy shift, but research shows cash alone won’t reverse low fertility. Real change requires affordable childcare, gender equity, and long-term security. youtu.be/zAfyU-R1I24?...
Childcare Subsidy a Good Start, But Not Enough, Says Yale Professor
YouTube video by CGTN Europe
youtu.be
July 28, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Just spoke on CGTN about China’s new national childcare subsidy (¥3,600 per child/year). A big policy shift, but research shows cash alone won’t reverse low fertility. Real change requires affordable childcare, gender equity, and long-term security. youtu.be/zAfyU-R1I24?...
New paper! What happens when abortion laws are driven by xenophobic stereotypes? @ispsyale.bsky.social @scholars.org
July 23, 2025 at 2:00 AM
New paper! What happens when abortion laws are driven by xenophobic stereotypes? @ispsyale.bsky.social @scholars.org
Reposted by Emma Zang
Siblings can play a crucial role in each others development. Research by @dremmazang.bsky.social found that younger siblings tend to benefit from an older child's educational opportunities. Learn more about Zang's research in this @nytimes.com piece by @susandominus.bsky.social. ⤵️
#EdPolicy
#EdPolicy
The Surprising Ways That Siblings Shape Our Lives
Parents try everything to influence their children. But new research suggests brothers and sisters have their own profound impact.
www.nytimes.com
May 12, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Siblings can play a crucial role in each others development. Research by @dremmazang.bsky.social found that younger siblings tend to benefit from an older child's educational opportunities. Learn more about Zang's research in this @nytimes.com piece by @susandominus.bsky.social. ⤵️
#EdPolicy
#EdPolicy
Reposted by Emma Zang
How does upward mobility affect health outcomes and behaviors during the transition to adulthood? @dremmazang.bsky.social & Melissa Tian explore the intersection of race and sex: bit.ly/3XFE29d
#NewPublication
@ispsyale.bsky.social @asamedsoc.bsky.social @YaleSoc
#NewPublication
@ispsyale.bsky.social @asamedsoc.bsky.social @YaleSoc
April 1, 2025 at 3:14 PM
How does upward mobility affect health outcomes and behaviors during the transition to adulthood? @dremmazang.bsky.social & Melissa Tian explore the intersection of race and sex: bit.ly/3XFE29d
#NewPublication
@ispsyale.bsky.social @asamedsoc.bsky.social @YaleSoc
#NewPublication
@ispsyale.bsky.social @asamedsoc.bsky.social @YaleSoc
Reposted by Emma Zang
Tomorrow @ 12 pm PT | Join APARC's China Program for a seminar featuring @dremmazang.bsky.social as she shares research illuminating how China’s 2011 Marriage Law reform has reshaped property rights within households, impacting women and family well-being and behavior. Register ⤵️
Emma Zang on the Impact of the 2011 Judicial Interpretation of the Chinese
Stanford University
buff.ly
April 28, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Tomorrow @ 12 pm PT | Join APARC's China Program for a seminar featuring @dremmazang.bsky.social as she shares research illuminating how China’s 2011 Marriage Law reform has reshaped property rights within households, impacting women and family well-being and behavior. Register ⤵️